Misophonia is a condition characterized by a strong negative emotional and physiological reaction to specific, patterned sounds, often referred to as “trigger sounds.” These aversive responses are typically disproportionate to the sound’s intensity and commonly include feelings of anger, disgust, or anxiety. Understanding the history of misophonia involves defining a set of symptoms that only recently received a formal name and dedicated study.
Early Recognition of Auditory Sensitivities
Before misophonia was formally named, extreme sound intolerance was often described using generalized terms like decreased sound tolerance (DST). This broader category included conditions such as hyperacusis, which is an over-sensitivity to the physical characteristics of sound. The intense, sound-specific emotional reactions now attributed to misophonia were frequently confused with general anxiety disorders or phonophobia, the fear of sound itself.
In the late 1990s, audiologist Marsha Johnson began documenting cases of what she termed “Selective Sound Sensitivity Syndrome” or 4S. She recognized that the problem lay not in the loudness of the sound but in its specific pattern and context. Johnson identified that these specific sounds, which she called “triggers,” evoked a strong aversive response, often involving anger or rage. This early work helped distinguish the condition from simple hyperacusis, laying the groundwork for a more precise classification.
The Formal Identification and Naming of Misophonia
The formal term “misophonia,” which translates from Greek as “hatred of sound,” was coined in 2001 by neuroscientists and audiologists Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff. They introduced the term to clearly differentiate this unique pattern of symptoms from other auditory conditions. They sought to distinguish reactions based on the physical properties of sound (hyperacusis) from those based on the specific pattern or context of the sound (misophonia).
The researchers proposed a neurophysiological model where misophonia was seen as an abnormally strong connection between the auditory system and the limbic system, which controls emotions, and the autonomic nervous system. This model suggested that a specific trigger sound bypasses the typical auditory processing pathway and immediately activates the body’s fight-or-flight response. The term appeared in publications in 2001 and 2002, marking the moment the condition received a precise scientific label, allowing for dedicated research and discussion.
Current Clinical Understanding and Classification
The formal naming of misophonia in the early 2000s catalyzed a new field of research, but its precise clinical classification remains an ongoing debate. Currently, misophonia is not officially recognized as a distinct diagnosable condition in major international diagnostic manuals, such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). This lack of an official code makes it challenging for patients to receive formal diagnoses and billable medical services.
Despite the absence from these manuals, researchers have proposed specific criteria to define the disorder. In 2013, a team of psychiatrists proposed a set of diagnostic criteria, suggesting misophonia be classified as a discrete psychiatric disorder, perhaps within the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. These criteria focus on the presence of a specific human-produced sound provoking an immediate aversive physical reaction that instantaneously becomes anger, with the individual recognizing the reaction is excessive.
The definition has continued to evolve since the Jastreboffs’ initial proposal, now often including visual stimuli, such as seeing someone chew, as potential triggers—a phenomenon sometimes called misokinesia. In 2022, an international panel of experts published a consensus definition, agreeing that misophonia is a disorder of decreased tolerance to specific sounds or their associated stimuli.